Interview with Jennifer Welch, Associate Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid at SUNY Upstate Medical University [Show Summary]

In today’s episode we talk with Jennifer Welch, Associate Dean of Admissions and Chief Enrollment Officer at SUNY Upstate Medical. Jennifer shares information on the new curriculum, as well as what students can expect in the application process and who SUNY Upstate wants in their program.

Find out what's new at SUNY Upstate Medical University [Show Notes]

Our guest today is Jennifer Welch, Associate Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid and Chief Enrollment Officer. Jennifer arrived at SUNY as Director of Admissions at SUNY Upstate Medical in 1994 and became Associate Dean of Admissions in 2013. She is also no stranger to Admissions Straight Talk or Accepted. She participated in Accepted’s old chats and was a guest on AST’s episodes 87 and 168. However, that was a while ago, and it’s time to catch up with Jennifer and what’s happening at SUNY Upstate.

SUNY Upstate has spent much time and energy over the last five years in a curriculum overhaul, with the basic goal of better integrating clinical and basic science instruction. How is that going? [2:28]

Students don’t learn anymore in a large lecture hall. The new curriculum is called the Up Curriculum and has done a wonderful job of integrating a more small group dynamic. All coursework is also taped so students can learn on their own. The basic idea is they get the chance to collaborate with one another to learn concepts. We are also offering flipped classrooms with problem-based learning. These changes were slow in coming but the committee did a fabulous job in terms of figuring out what students needed. Students served on the committee also which was really helpful. At this point we are fully integrated in the first and second year. Students are in class most mornings and then in small group discussions on cases relevant to what they are learning in the classroom. We are also going to be live with simulations this fall. For now the third year is still very much the rotations, the fourth year AIs and electives. There is discussion about doing a three year curriculum – 18 months of basic sciences and then going right into clinical years.

I noticed that SUNY Upstate is requiring the CASPer. When do you recommend that applicants take it and what are you learning from it? [7:29]

Last year was the first year we required it, but did not use it in the admissions process. We looked at how students performed in CASPer and how they performed in the interviews, and there was a very strong correlation. We had a retreat a few weeks ago to show the correlation, and we’ll be using it a little more in the screening process. It will be part of the evaluation when students are starting to look a lot alike – when we have few interview slots left, applicants have similar schools/grades/MCAT scores. Students need it for their application to be complete, so I am encouraging people to take it in June/July/August. We will not consider an application until we have the CASPer score.